Zelink Week - Day 2 - Protection
by WildlingKnight
Summary: Zelink Week 2016 - The Queen sighed. It hadn't been a particularly loud sigh, but it had drawn his attention just the same, if he hadn't been standing behind and to the right of her chair he wouldn't have heard it. Luckily, her company hadn't, he didn't even seem to see the politely, but falsely, interested expression she wore. Most people didn't.


This was written in 2016 for Zelink Week over on tumblr. I didn't finish the week but I'm putting up everything I did get finished here.

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The Queen sighed. It hadn't been a particularly loud sigh, but it had drawn his attention just the same, if he hadn't been standing behind and to the right of her chair he wouldn't have heard it. Luckily, her company hadn't, he didn't even seem to see the politely, but falsely, interested expression she wore. Most people didn't. It was just one of the things Link had picked up about her after he had spent some time in her company and employ.

After the war, Princess Zelda had become Queen Zelda. Not by choice, but by popular demand. She had lead Hyrule to victory, and her people adored her, so why not? In her becoming Queen, her council, headed by Impa, had demanded she have a new queens guard. She immediately agreed, much to their surprise, being used to the fierce and headstrong princess whom had always insisted she could take care of herself.

Impa had automatically shortlisted Link to be in the Queen's personal guard, due to his impressive performance on the battlefield, and the fact that they had grown quite close in the time since. But Zelda had insisted Link be her personal bodyguard, the position Impa had previously held, before Zelda made her head of council. They had expected Impa to make a fuss, to reject Link's appointment, but she didn't. Instead, she had taken Link aside and passed on some 'experienced advice'.

Back in the here and now, Link tried not to cringe. 'Experienced advice' turned out to be threats, and if Impa wanted you dead, you wound up dead.

Zelda sighed again and his eyes finally went to her. It was the third time in as many minutes, he noted. Not that he was paying that close attention. But then again, paying close attention to the Queen of Hyrule was his job. He could watch her when she thought no one was, and take in every little movement, like every time she twirled a strand of hair around her fingers when she was reading to help her concentrate, and the little line that appeared between her eyebrows when she yawned, and no one could say anything. Because he was doing his job, wasn't he?

Hie eyes moved over to the man Zelda was meeting with. He was the Lord of one of the provinces just outside of Hyrule. Fat, loud and obnoxious, but kindly enough. He was here to negotiate trade. Usually, the old council would just approve things like this, over correspondance with no face to face interaction at all. But Zelda liked to meet with people first. To get a judge of character, she said. New Queen and council meant new rules.

Link had to attend a lot of these meetings, being Zelda's personal guard. He didn't mind, really. All he had to do was stand there at Zelda's side and look mildly intimidating. Not so much so that he was frightening, but enough that if someone was meeting with the Queen to make an attempt on her life, Link was a strong deterrent.

The nobleman told another joke, laughing loudly and rolling in his seat slightly, obviously thinking himself highly amusing. Zelda sighed again under the cover of his laughter. She was sat up straight in her high backed chair, legs together and crossed at the ankles, hands folded in her lap, the very picture of beauty, grace and dignity. She hid her boredom well, until the Lord looked away, laughing and drinking. She would sigh and her face would fall slightly, as though she was relaxing the muscles she was using to hold that polite smile on her face before hitching it back on again when he composed himself enough to look back over to her.

Link subtly looked toward the windows, judging by the height of the sun, they still had just over an hour of this to go before they could escape. After this, Zelda had some paperwork to see to. More boring stuff, unfortunately, but at least she didn't have to put up with anyone. Anyone, other than Link that is. But she always said she didn't mind his company. Sitting behind her desk in her study, she always asked Link to sit too, saying that standing behind her chair all day while wearing the partial body armour his new position warranted couldn't be good for him. She had a comfortable armchair brought in just for him, placed by the window with a small table and some books. He would sit quietly so as not to break her concentration and sometimes he would read, other times he would use the cover of reading to watch her. That's when he would notice all of the little things about her other people easily missed.

Another round of raucous laughter and Link's attention was torn away from the quiet times they spent in Zelda's study. As he scolded himself for daydreaming on the job, he felt his heart skip a beat when the Lord leant forward and touched Zelda's hand. It was only a light pat on the back of it but it was closer than he should have been. Zelda hadn't reacted to it in any way, so Link didn't either, other than to take an unconscious half step forward and to tighten his focus on the Lord, trying to ignore the pounding of his heart and the intense desire to knock out the Lord's teeth.

That shouldn't have happened, Link thought. He suddenly saw Impa's face in his mind's eye and held back a grimace. He'd pay for that slip up later. The small shift in his position reminded him how heavy his new pauldrons were, he hadn't grown used to wearing his newly commissioned armour yet.

His new position meant that in order to protect the Queen if and when the time came, he would also have to be well protected. And that had meant armour. Much thought, negotiation and compromise went into the design. Link didn't want to stand out and be made a target, or to be weighed or slowed down by too much excessive metal, Impa wanted him to be well covered, while still keeping the look of the Legendary Hero, and other members of the council wanted the armour to be flashy and ceremonial in its design.

In the end, they had all gotten a little bit of what they wanted. Link got to keep wearing the clothes he had worn during the war, replacing his one battered silver pauldron with a pair, with built in rerebraces to cover more area between pauldron and vambrace, because a fine thing thing it would be if the Queen's bodyguard, holder of the Triforce of Courage and wielder of the Master Sword, went and got his arm sliced off, as Impa had said. A breastplate was fitted to cover his chest and his hat had been sewn into a helm that covered the front of his head and down the sides to his jaw to frame his face. A hidden visor had been worked into the design, so that if in combat, to offer himself more protection he could pull the visor down, but instead of covering his eyes it covered the lower part of his face.

When it had been finished, he had been made to wear it in front of the council for approval. He hadn't known Queen Zelda was going to be there too. He'd avoided her gaze the entire time, feeling self conscious and flustered. She had appraised him closely, going so far as to get up and slowly stalk towards him, looking him up and down as she circled around him before stopping right in front of him and suggesting they add the blue scarf, which had become his symbol ever since he had worn it in the war. He had been dismissed as she moved back to her chair and he had leant against the wall outside taking some much needed deep breaths.

Queen Zelda was just putting down her tea cup and saucer when the Lord intercepted her hand on its way back to its place in her lap. He had leant forward in his chair and was saying something, Link wasn't listening, he was too busy stepping forward to forcefully break the contact before he even knew what he was doing, but Zelda retracted her hand smoothly while holding the other up at Link in a placating gesture. Her pleasant sounding, tinkling laugh put the Lord at ease, whom seemed to have recoiled slightly at Links small advance, and he smiled ruefully.

Stepping back and standing to attention once again, Link cursed his repeated lapses in concentration today. He deserved every punishment Impa felt fit to deal him, he was being a terrible bodyguard. Of course it didn't help that his charge was just so damn distracting. He watched her unconsciously move a lock of hair, that had escaped from her braid, behind her long pointed ear, his gaze lingering on the way the sunlight seemed to make her golden strands glitter before he caught his mind wandering again and grit his teeth.

Forcing himself to stand up straighter again, and to direct his line of vision away from his Queen and at the wall opposite, Zelda's head turned slightly toward him when his armour clinked lightly at his movement. He fought with himself not to let his eyes flicker back to her, and he relaxed when she turned her full attention back to the Lord she was meeting with. What was with him today?

Taking slow steady breaths in through his nose and silently releasing them through his mouth, he spent the rest of the meeting staring at the one spot of wall below the window behind the Lord, keeping watch for anymore unnecessary, and frankly unwanted, physical contact out of his peripheral vision.

Well at least he planned to. There was still at least forty minutes to go before the meeting was over, but Zelda's slightly raised voiced caught his attention. She was wrapping the meeting up from the sounds of things. Bidding the Lord a good day and safe travels back to his province, she rose to her feet and Link automatically stepped forward and offered her his arm.

Staying silent until the doors to the receiving room had closed behind them, Zelda took a huge breath, holding it for a moment before releasing it in one big rush, her body seeming to relax as she did.

"Thank the Goddesses that's over." She almost sighed.

"Your Majesty?"

"Nice enough man, but my, his laugh was deafening." She laughed quietly before seeming to remember herself and sobering. "I think he's genuine though, I see no problem in trading with his province."

"If you believe so, Your Grace."

"Link, stop. I've told you before. You don't have to 'your grace' or 'your majesty' me. We're friends aren't we?"

"If you say so, Your Grace." Link grinned, being unable to resist throwing in one more. Zelda squeezed his arm, narrowing her eyes but smiling back at him. Walking through the long stone corridors of the castle arm in arm, they slowly made their way to one of Zelda's favourite places. A small stone courtyard had been built in the west wing of the castle, with a balcony running all the way around it on the upper floor. It was the balcony Zelda loved. Wooden troughs had been placed over the banisters and they were always filled with beautiful blossoming flowers. Different species every season depending on which was flowering then.

Opening the door for her and then offering his arm again when he had shut it behind himself, Link walked her slowly around the balcony. Watching her peaceful expression out of the corner of his eye.

"Do you want to know why I ended my meeting early?" Zelda suddenly asked, turning to him. Link nodded while not looking at her, he didn't really care why, but it meant he got to walk and speak with his Queen, so he played along.

"I had decided from the first few minutes of meeting Lord Hebbett that I was going to agree to his request. But I entertained him for almost the full two hours. I was going to end it after one. But then you moved."

Link stopped walking. Uh oh. He continued looking straight ahead, his face hopefully blank and not showing the small amount of shock at her noticing his movement, and the panic at the revelation that she had been paying attention to him. Maybe even the whole time.

"When he touched my hand. You moved."

"I did?" Link questioned, trying to play off his actions as confusion or absent-mindedness rather than disquiet. He tried to start walking again but Zelda held fast to his arm and didn't move.

"You know you did. And again when he held my hand. I had to tell you to stand down." She let go of his arm and moved to stand in front of him, probably to see his face properly, his helm obscuring part of his face from the side. He immediately looked down, avoiding her penetrating stare.

"He should have kept his distance." He murmured.

"Why?" She answered immediately, but by no means harshly. Link floundered looking for words, leaving great pauses between her questions and his answers.

"Because...you're the Queen."

"But he was of no threat. Surely you could have seen that. Did he look like an assassin to you?"

"No, of course not but-"

"But what?"

"But-"

"What?"

"Will you let me think?" Link immediately felt ashamed for raising his voice, but Zelda wore a satisfied expression.

"Why do you need to think?" She asked quietly, as though by lowering her voice she was coaxing Link to do the same.

Link huffed a frustrated sigh. "Because it's my job to protect you. That's why I moved. I'm supposed to protect you and I let him get too close to you." Zelda's expression softened. His hands balled into fists at his sides in anger directed at himself, his gaze off to the side to avoid looking at his Queen.

"Is that all it is?" Link blinked before finally looking up at her.

"Isn't that bad enough? What if he had been an assassin? He could have killed you several times! I would have failed-!" Zelda cut him off by reaching out and touching his arms just above his vambraces, attempting to sooth him as his voice grew louder again.

"You misunderstand. Or rather, I asked the wrong question. I mean, is that all I am to you?" Link's breath caught in his throat and he almost missed the slight pink colour on her cheeks. "A job." She was staring at him intensely and he found it impossible to look away. His heart thudded in his ears and his armour felt like it weighed three times more than it did.

He could tell her. He _should_ tell her. He had the Triforce of Courage damnit.

Taking a deep steadying breath and a half step closer to her, he slid his arms out of her grasp and gripped her fingers in his, looking down at them while he thought carefully about what he was going to say.

"No. That isn't all you mean to me. This isn't just a job for me. This is…"He took another deep breath, furrowing his brow when it shuddered back out of him, "You are my reason to get out bed in the morning. You are the reason I went out to fight when I hadn't even qualified as a soldier. I laid down my life again and again, for you, and I would do it all again for you." He must have been hurting her hands with how tightly he was holding them, but now he had started he couldn't stop. "I saw you that day on the battlements and I was terrified because you were so beautiful and you were looking at me. I saw you at your worst after hard battles, and I still thought you were the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen. And I loved you." His voice broke and he clenched his eyes shut. "And every time you were in danger, it _hurt_. _That's_ why I moved. Because I still love you. And yes, it _is_ my job to protect you." Opening his eyes again and blinking a few times, he looked up at her astonished expression, realising that she was squeezing his hands just as hard as he was squeezing hers. "But it's also my _choice_. If anything happened to you, and I couldn't be there to stop it, I'd never... I wouldn't be able to..." He looked down, squeezing his eyes shut again as his voice failed him.

He felt Zelda remove her hands from his and he let them fall to his sides. He could just imagine her backing away from him, he'd probably terrified her by dumping all this emotional _shit_ on her when all she'd wanted was to hear him say that they were friends. Well, that was the end of his career as her personal bodyguard.

He was somewhere between mentally planning out his very long journey around Hyrule (that funnily enough kept him very far away from Hyrule castle and its Queen at all times), and thinking that he probably should have heard her fleeing footsteps and a slamming door by now that the cool fingers sliding over his cheeks and cupping his face made his eyes snap open.

She was still there. She was closer to him that she had been before, and she was slowly, hesitantly, getting even closer. Before he knew what was happening, her lips were on his. His eyes slid closed and he inhaled through his nose as his hands came up to rest lightly on her waist. Her soft lips moved gently against his and he lost the ability for higher brain function as everything was just her.

Breaking apart, his eyes remained closed as she whispered, so close to his lips he could still feel hers "I'm sorry, that was all I could think to do."

He nodded as he stepped back slightly, hands still not leaving her waist. He'd overwhelmed her with his confession and she'd felt obligated to respond. He'd put her in an awkward situation and she'd felt her only way out was to give him what he wanted. He was disgusting. His face twisted and he went to leave, he dropped his hands and turned, but she grabbed for him, turning him back toward her by his shoulders and telling him to stay at the same time he was apologising.

"No, Link! Why are you trying to leave-"

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that-"

"Link. Stop." She raised her voice to cut his off. "I'm trying to tell you I love you too, you idiot." He stared. Her cheeks lit up that beautiful shade of pink again but she was smiling through it. "I love you too. I chose you too, remember? To be my personal guard." She moved close to him again and put her arms around his neck, her voice lowering to a whisper, her breath buffeting against his lips. "I know you will do everything you can to keep me safe. I trust you with my life and everything that goes with it."

She met his lips again and he lifted his arms around her back, keeping her close.

And he was never letting go.

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Let me know what you think please :)


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